ILO calls on Greece to bring its labour relations system back to fundamental rights

In this year’s November session, the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association – the supervisory body of the International Labour Organization (ILO) that examines cases concerning employers’ and trade unions’ rights to organize, collective bargaining and social dialogue – examined an extensive deficit of social dialogue in austerity measures taken in Greece and highlighted the need for ILO assistance in the country.

Press release |
15 November 2012

The ILO Committee on Freedom of Association examined the complaint submitted by the Greek General Confederation of Labour, the Civil Servants' Confederation, the General Federation of Employees of the National Electric Power Corporation, the Greek Federation of Private Employees, and supported by the International Trade Union Confederation, concerning a variety of austerity measures taken in Greece over the last two years within the framework of the international loan mechanism agreed upon with the Troika (EC, ECB and IMF).

While deeply aware that these measures were taken within a context qualified as grave and exceptional, provoked by a financial and economic crisis, the Committee found that there were a number of repeated and extensive interventions into free and voluntary collective bargaining and an important deficit of social dialogue and thus highlighted the need to promote and strengthen the institutional framework for these key fundamental rights.

The Committee expects that the social partners will be fully involved in the determination of any further alterations within the framework of the agreements with the Troika that touches upon matters core to the human rights of freedom of association and collective bargaining and which are fundamental to the very basis of democracy and social peace.

The Committee called for permanent and intensive social dialogue on the issues raised with the aim of developing a comprehensive common vision for labour relations in full conformity with the principles of freedom of association and the effective recognition of collective bargaining. The Committee highlighted the need for ILO assistance to achieving this end.

The ILO Committee on Freedom of Association

Freedom of association and collective bargaining are among the founding principles of the ILO. In 1951, the ILO set up the Committee on Freedom of Association (CFA) for the purpose of examining complaints about violations of freedom of association, whether or not the country concerned had ratified the relevant conventions. Greece has ratified the Freedom of Association Convention No. 87 and the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention No. 98. The other EU 26 Member states have also ratified these conventions. The CFA is a Governing Body committee, and is composed of an independent chairperson and six representatives each of governments, employers, and workers.